Donnie's German court battle
Donation protected
Alone and isolated in a foreign country, Donnie is fighting to win custody of his 2 kids and bring them back to the United States where they can rebuild their lives and start to heal.
Here's Donnie's story in his own words:
"I’ve found myself in a predicament that I never could have imagined. I am an American living alone in Berlin, Germany and I am trying, in the German court system, to win the legal right to return to the US with my children Emily, 7 and Aaron, 3. Emily and Aaron were born in the US and we moved to Berlin in July of 2018 with my German-born wife. About 6 weeks after we moved here my wife met another man and soon after that she informed me that she wanted a divorce. She later informed me that she’d been seriously considering divorcing me before we moved to Germany. I’ve gotten over the shock of my marriage ending but life here is desperate for me and I need help. I’ve spent the last year navigating the German court system and the process has bankrupted me.
We’ve asked an appeals court to review the decision handed down by the circuit court and the appeals process is expensive. I’m represented by a great attorney but that representation comes at a cost. The initial retainer required for an appeal equals about $12,000 USD and its possible that the initial retainer will be eaten up and additional billable hours will accrue. Also, unforeseen ancillary costs are inherent in this process. A bill of at least $15,000 USD is very likely in my near future. For that reason I am reaching out to the community at large to see if anyone can help me.
I take pride in being able to solve my own problems in life but the situation in which I find myself is proving difficult to conquer alone. I don’t have the skills to hold a proper job in Germany and am currently receiving German social welfare money. I am sure that you can see how paying for a competent lawyer would be difficult for someone who is dependent on the state for their basic needs.
Now that my wife has left me I am all alone in Germany. My German language skills are rudimentary and I am socially isolated. More important than my own desire to come home is my kids’ need to come home. They are in an emotionally damaging, tense and confusing environment and I very much want to remove them from it and bring them home where they can begin to heal. The bottom line is that my kids and I urgently need to return to the United States and the only way I can gain the custody required for such a move is to pay my attorney and have him win the case.
I hope this explains my situation to you. Any help would mean the world to me.
-Don"
Here's Donnie's story in his own words:
"I’ve found myself in a predicament that I never could have imagined. I am an American living alone in Berlin, Germany and I am trying, in the German court system, to win the legal right to return to the US with my children Emily, 7 and Aaron, 3. Emily and Aaron were born in the US and we moved to Berlin in July of 2018 with my German-born wife. About 6 weeks after we moved here my wife met another man and soon after that she informed me that she wanted a divorce. She later informed me that she’d been seriously considering divorcing me before we moved to Germany. I’ve gotten over the shock of my marriage ending but life here is desperate for me and I need help. I’ve spent the last year navigating the German court system and the process has bankrupted me.
We’ve asked an appeals court to review the decision handed down by the circuit court and the appeals process is expensive. I’m represented by a great attorney but that representation comes at a cost. The initial retainer required for an appeal equals about $12,000 USD and its possible that the initial retainer will be eaten up and additional billable hours will accrue. Also, unforeseen ancillary costs are inherent in this process. A bill of at least $15,000 USD is very likely in my near future. For that reason I am reaching out to the community at large to see if anyone can help me.
I take pride in being able to solve my own problems in life but the situation in which I find myself is proving difficult to conquer alone. I don’t have the skills to hold a proper job in Germany and am currently receiving German social welfare money. I am sure that you can see how paying for a competent lawyer would be difficult for someone who is dependent on the state for their basic needs.
Now that my wife has left me I am all alone in Germany. My German language skills are rudimentary and I am socially isolated. More important than my own desire to come home is my kids’ need to come home. They are in an emotionally damaging, tense and confusing environment and I very much want to remove them from it and bring them home where they can begin to heal. The bottom line is that my kids and I urgently need to return to the United States and the only way I can gain the custody required for such a move is to pay my attorney and have him win the case.
I hope this explains my situation to you. Any help would mean the world to me.
-Don"
Organizer and beneficiary
Kyle DeMilner
Organizer
Verona, NJ
Don Yonker
Beneficiary
